Huffington Post reports that New York is making a big stride toward a state-wide minimum wage of $15 per hour for fast food workers. A panel set up by Governor Andrew Cuomo, a politician often criticized for not being liberal or progressive. It’s not clear if this measure would only apply to the fast food industry or if it would cover all industries. In any case, this is another example of politicians admitting that the current minimum wage is too low. America needs a raise, and hopefully leaders in New York will set a good example.

Mayor Bill DeBlasio has signed an order that increases the minimum wage of some workers from 11.90 to 13.13. This order applies to companies that work with the city, not all workers in the city. Laura Clawson of Daily Kos sees the move as a way to put pressure on state government to increase the minimum wage throughout the state. She quotes Governor Cuomo who said that a state-based increase leads to “a chaotic situation.” Mayor DeBlasio is leading. Hopefully the governor will follow.